Method of making shoes.



.Sr STBAUSS. METHOD or MAKING SHOES.

l APPLICATION HLED IULY1`2| 1915 l 1,221,388, Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'i Figure 1 1s a rertieal section of a machine i `thelhist. i

Another object is to4 so produce a. shoe that OFFICE- METHOD or MAKXNG sHoEs.

To, all whom it may concern.'

llc it known ,that I. Sauiizn S'rmiss, a citizen ot' the linited States,`residing at Los Angeles. in `the county of Los Angeles and State of lalit'oriiia. have invented a new and useful Method ol Makingr Shoes, otwhich the following is a specification.

Angobject of this invention is to produce' Another object is to maximize the ease ofV sewing the sole and-upper together.,

Another object is to eleet the sewing` in a \\'ay that will insure that the stitchesare madein a patlrcoiiforining to thershape of ""theuiiper thereof will be held in shape. even though-said upper 1s made of very soft and j'iliayble material such as rubber or cloth.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the 4, invention:

capable of cari-.ving out a portion of the ini-`4 pro'r'ed method and of partly making the im proved" shoe.

Fig. '2` is a longitudinal mid section through the upper formed by the machine shown in Fig". 1, a last and a sole also 'being shown in position for sewing together.

' Fig.v 3 is a. longitudinalniid section of the sainenpper, sole and last illustratingr the bastingoperatiom the vbasting ring andl lastlingicollar'also jl'ieinaY shoWn.

Eigflyis a-longitudinal und section of the upp' oleand last with thc basting ring re1n;ored,-the upper and sole being stitched Fi-g:5;.is a longitudiiial mid section ofthe conipletedishoe. j

Eig.; tiyis a plan view of the Shaper or last- `iligeollai' shown in Figs. 3 and el.

Fig.. 7 isd a longitudinal section of a shoe provided vwith the improved stiiciiingr band.

process: bynvhich the novel shoe a. Fig. 5' is le machine for carrying out part of the' ma is provided with a' base 1 vhaving j Spcificatlion ofLetters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

Application led I uly 12, 1915. Seriahl 110.135 ,248.

mounted therecn a female die 2 and having guidesin the torni of round rods Splixed therein and projecting upward from said base. follower 4 andsaid follower is resiliently supported 'by coil springs 5 surroliniiling the rods 3 between the base 1 and ears G of the follower. said ears being perforated to accommodate tht rods 3.

The follower is provided with perforatioirs 'i' to accommodate rods 8 carrying' at their lower ends a presser member or foot 9, there being coil springs 1() surrounding the rods S betwcei: the ears (i and presser foot to normali)v de iress the presser toot toward the female die 2.

The tollowci l is provided with recesses 11 `in which aie mounted spi-ingr sockets 1Q designed to dctachably engage buttons'lf projectiingr from the upper tace of a male die or last 1t that is designed to be forced into the mold cai'itiY 15 1n the die 2 b v pressure exerted onthe *follower 4, said pressure being Yproduced by an \r desired means or meehanisin. or s vsteni oiilevers` not shown.

i The base 1 ma)T be provided with a recess 1G designed to 'eeeire an ejector 17 normally pressed `ii-pwai d toward the die 1l. b v a coil spring 1S Vseated between the ejector and bottom of the recess. To ellect the first step in the novel method of making a shoe in accordante with this invention. the follower el and its die 14 will be Vrasedpand thal presser foot 9 will also be raisedV and-,a piece of leather 19 will be soaked 1n water to render it more pliable and said leathml will then be laid on the flat laiigrel 20 of the die Q.

Then the'pi'esser foot Si will be allowed to descend and engage. said leather 19 to se.- cur'ely hold ,the saine in position `on the die 2. Then the follover 4 will be operated to move `the dielli downward to Vpress the leather 19 into the mold eavitjY 15 to make iin-upper 21 of a shoe ot' the desired shape and approxiimite lsize harinar 'an outwardly extending flange :22. thus completing the first step of the method.-

The. other steps of the process will then be performed as follows: The follower 4 and die 14 will be raised. thus allowingr the ejeetor 17 'to operate to eject the upper 21 from the mold cavityV 15. A piece of sole leather E3. will then be fastened by nails 94.111- the like. to a last 25 of wood or other suitable materialpandsaid, last will )n the Iods 3 is shittahly mounted a I be inserted in the'upper 21 with the sole restf tween the lasting of the upper as to fasten the sole 23 and upper firmly tofiber or the li ing in Contact or substantially in contact with the outturned flange 22 of the upper as in Fig. 2.

Then a sha er or lasting collar 26 of hard Ee will beplacedaround the upper 21 and in Contact with the upper surface of the flange 2i?, and a basting ring 27 referably of metal. will be placed aroun' the upper and against the lasting collar.

The pressure ring 27 is connected by any suitable means to any suitable source o 'iower and in the instance shown said means comprises links 28 hinged at 29 to the ring and provided with straps 3() whielfmay be pulled upon by the operator to produce the desired amount of pressure of the ring 27 against the lasting collar.

The lasting" collar 26 gives the exact size to the shoe, and several such collars of different sizes are used with a single size of last, the last only giving the approximate size to the shoe.

Vres-sure is applied to the ring 27 to force the collar 26' towardthe sole 23 so 'as to draw the lower part of the upper toward the last to give said upper the exact shape and size Adetermined by the size of said collar and to securely hold the sole and flange 22 in close contact with one another,` and said sole and flange will then be basted together by nails 3l or equivalent driven through holes 32 extending through the ring 27, as in Fig. 3, said holes being of larger diameter than the nails.

Then the basting ring 27 will be removed, the nails 3l securely holding the sole and upper together. Then the upper 21 with the last therein and the lasting collar 26 fastened in place' will be sewed either by hand or by machine so to form stitches 33 entirely around the lower part of the upper through the flange 22 and sole 23,be collar 26 and the portion that 'is adjacent the flange so gether as in Fig. 4.

Then the Itop portion 34 of the upper will be eut away to form the opening 35 andl said upper will be slitat 36 from saidopening toward the toe, and then the lasting collar 26 will 'be ripped off and the flange 22 .and

sole 23 will be trimmed in th'e usual way by any suitable means, sufficient of the flange being allowed to remain on the upper-to securely hold the stitches 33 to forma tight joint between the upper and the sole and to form a so-termed extension. The last 25 is then removed through slit 36. If desired a heel 37 may be added. This completes the shoe shown at a, Fig. -5.

From the foregoing it is seen-that several uppers offor instance, sizes Nos. three, four and five, can be formedby dies and lastV of No. four size and lasting collars dir Nos.

the opening 35 and mamas three, four and five sizes, thus saving the expense of two dies and two lasts. Also any vshape of shoe can be made by this method irrespective of the style of die used, for the shoe can be Inade to conform to the desired style of last by employment of the lasting collar It is noted that by this method the soling, sewing and trinnning lolwrations may be eil'ecl'ed vwhile the upper still wet, the lasting .collar 26 and -lange 22 holding the upper in shape while said operations are being made, thereby minimizing the number of lasts necessary to use in the manufacture of a given n umber ol shoes, at least fifty per cent. being saved in the uumba-r ot lasts required as it isnot necessary to waituntil the uppers are dry before releasing the lasts therefrom. It is obvious from this that shoes may be made by this method in much less time than by methods heretofore known.

The lasting collar 26 may be used over and over again and is reversible so as to be adapted for right and left shoes and said collar, in the operation ol sewing the solol 23 to the upper, guides the sewing needle so as to maximize the ease of sewing and greatly facilitate forming the stitches in a. path conforming to the shape of the last.

It may be desirable in some instances to thicken the extension so as to better hold the upper in shape, especially when the upper ismade of very soft or flimsy material, and to do so a width as the flange 22 will be basted. on top of said flange between" the lasting collar 26 and the marginal portion of the sole 23 and theshoe will be sewed with stitches 39 as in Fig.7 extending through said band, flange and solev to hold them all {irmly together.

From the foregoing it is clear 'that by my method shoes can be made in very much less time than heretofore and the shoes thus made are provided with absolutely no seams inside thereofl to cause discomfortl to the wearer, and I am not aware that a shoe of this description has everbeen invented.

I claim z' 1. The method/of makingjshoes, which method 'comprises soaking a piece of leather pliable. applying forming diestothe wetlea-ther to shape it into an upper having an outturned flange, in sei-ting a. last inside'of said-upper while said upper is wet, basting a sole to the flange and the flange to a collar while the upper is wet, stitching the flange and sole together arpund the .inner edge of. 'the upper/ is wet,' removi 1 upper,allowing` the upperfto dry outfa then ripping o the collar.

2. The method omaking shoes, 'w `methodeomprises soaking apieoe'of leatih in`water'to make it pliable, applying form# ing` dies to the wet leatherto shape it into -an upper having an outturned flange,

in water .to makeE it flat band 38 about. the same ist i ing a last inside of said Upper' while said upper is wet, placing a band of stiff .material on the top snrfacellof lthe flange, busting a soleto the flange and the flange to the band and said band to a eollarto hold them all together, stitching the flange' and sole and band together around the inner edge of said collar, removing the last from the upper,l

allowing the upper -to dry out, and then ll tl ripping off the collar.`

The method of making shoes, which method. eomiirises inserting a last into an upper having an outturned flange, drawing a collarover` they upper against said flange, bastingfthe collar and flange and a sole toglaxther, stitchingthe flange and sole togethen,ren'loving the last, and finally removing the collar, i

4. The method of 'making shoes, which method comprises soakil'ig a piece of leather in `water to make, it pliable, applying forming dies to the wet leather toy shape it into an upper having an` outtm'ned flange, inserting a last inside of said upper while said "a upper'is wet, basting a sole to the flange while the upper is wet, stitching'the lange l and sole together while the upperfis wet, and

finally rcnnninglhe last from the upper.

5. The method of making shoes, which method comprises soaking a piece of leather in water to malie it pliable, holding the i marginal portions of said piece of leather,

pressing ont the c entrai portion'of `said piece f of leather to forni an upper-and to form a flange outtu'rned :from said upper, fastening a piece ot' sole leal her to a last, inserting said last in the upper l hus pressed outso that the Sele leather' will extend in proximity to the outturned flange, `fastening the sole to said flange, cutting sa .d upper to make an opening therein, and then removing the last tllrough said ope ning. u

In testimony whereof, 1 have hereunto set my hand, at Los Angeles California this 3rd day of July 191th SAMUEL STRAUSS,

In` presence of- Gaonee H. Hines', A. F. Soniunraunn. 

